WARNING: This story includes descriptions of sexual violence.
(NewsNation) — A trip to the Bahamas turned into a horrific experience for two Kentucky women who were drugged and assaulted, and then mistreated when they reported the attacks.
Amber Shearer and Dongayla Dobson are speaking up to seek justice and raise awareness about the risks of traveling. They shared their terrifying ordeal, emphasizing the need for caution, during a stop on Grand Bahama while on a Carnival cruise.
“I want people to be safe. Two’s not enough. Dongayla and I thought as best friends … that we could protect each other and to be safe, and it’s just not enough,” Shearer said during an interview on “CUOMO.”
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Upon disembarking the cruise ship, the women took a taxi to a local resort where they believe their cocktails were spiked by staff members.
“Less than a few drinks into the second drink, we knew something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong,” Shearer said.
Amber Shearer, left, and Dongayla Dobson recount being sexually assaulted on a beach in the Bahamas during a cruise ship vacation. (NewsNation)
After consuming the cocktails, they went to the beach to search for seashells where they encountered a male resort staff member who offered to show them a good spot to find shells. Shearer recollects waking up during the assault.
“I came to in the process of my rape,” she said.
“We were just conscious enough to have, or just aware enough, to know that they were in uniforms,” Dobson added.
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The women expressed frustration with local authorities, stating they were not provided with proper sexual assault test kits and were treated as if they were the perpetrators when they reported the assaults. Toxicology results revealed the presence of benzodiazepines and other drugs in their systems.
“To see the things that showed up on my (toxicology) screen was just traumatizing all over again,” Dobson said.
A news release by the Royal Bahamas Police on Facebook mentioned that two men were arrested in connection with the assaults. The investigation is ongoing.
They also shared their disappointment with their inability to receive assistance from U.S. authorities to investigate the assaults.
Back in the U.S., the women are undergoing medical treatment, including HIV prevention medication that costs nearly $4,000, as reported by WLEX-TV.
This incident occurred as the U.S. State Department raised its travel advisory level for the Bahamas last month, urging Americans to exercise “increased caution” due to crime.
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“The majority of crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands,” the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs said in the latest Travel Advisory. “In Nassau, practice increased vigilance in the ‘Over the Hill’ area (south of Shirley Street) where gang-on-gang violence has resulted in a high homicide rate primarily affecting the local population.”
The women are sharing their experiences in the hope of preventing future attacks.
“You need to be aware because our cruise line did not make us aware of a travel advisory,” Shearer said. “We had no idea what was going on in the Bahamas.”
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673.
